title: Diagnostic imaging in athletes with chronic lower leg pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose is to describe the imaging features in athletes with chronic lower leg pain, emphasizing the role of MRI and CT, which are the diagnostic tools with the highest sensitivity and specificity in the differential diagnosis of lower leg pain. Moreover, a diagnostic algorithm in patients with chronic lower leg pain is proposed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plain radiography has a low sensitivity but may reveal tibial stress fractures, bone tumors, and soft-tissue calcification. CT and MRI may be useful to better evaluate the abnormalities shown by plain radiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Messina, Policlinico G. Martino, Via Consolare Pompea 1871, 98165, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minutoli
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazziotti
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Visalli
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blandino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*